Call for blood donations ahead of Phuket Vegetarian Festival

PHUKET: Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is calling for a boost in blood donations ahead of the upcoming Vegetarian Festival, which begins on Sunday.

The PRBC’s blood stocks usually fall dramatically during the festival as demand rises and donor numbers reduce, due to the physical demands made by the festival’s purification rituals.

Acting Director of PRBC Pornthip Rattajak told the Phuket Gazette that during the high season and Vegetarian Festival many tourists visit Phuket and accidents tend to occur more often.

“We have been saving blood stocks since the end of August in the hope we’ll have enough blood in the bank for urgent cases during the Vegetarian Festival,” explained Dr Pornthip.

“We would like to invite donors to join our ‘Blood donation to make a merit for the Vegetarian Festival’,” she added.

It should be noted that foreigners with Rhesus-negative blood groups will be especially welcome, as those types are very rare among Thais. Foreigners involved in accidents are the most frequent recipients of donated Rh-negative blood.

The PRBC is holding the blood donation campaign from October 16 to 23 at their center on Rattanakosin 200 Year Road, next to Phuket Provincial Employment Office in Saphan Hin.

Donations will be accepted from 8:30am to 4:30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:30am to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 9am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, call the PRBC at 076-251178 or 081-9588854.

— Orawin Narabal